Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Private_collector]

As we say in this part of the world.......Hello!,

No outwardly obvious signs of celebrating anything here just now. Huge winds, over 250mm (10") of rain in less than 24hrs. Last week, so dry I had to buy water. This week we are flooded in. Tanks are very much full, as of this morning. Dam that was almost dry thursday, is about to hit 100% capacity within next hour, then the excess flows out and adds to the flooding elsewhere. And flooding there is!!! Can go less than a kilometer in any direction. Further north, Rockhampton badly flooded. Tornadoes (said to be three in total) went through Bundaberg this afternoon, with severe damage in its path. Very high winds here. So high I can't get to the workshop without being water blasted! I'm not up for that. Brisbane expecting their share of flooding rains tomorrow, courtesy of rain overnight. They are about 200km south of here, so we will know about the rough stuff well before it gets down their way.

Radio tells us the heavy rain and bad winds arrive overnight tonight! Jeeezus! This is the entree, main course yet to come. I have never seen the wind this bad, ever. Even the dog won't come out of her house.

Still, got a new coffee machine, and fresh copy of CMV to read, so bugger the lot of it, i'm staying inside.

Wanted to make the wire frames for CMP mudguards, clean up a radiator and paint it, and a few other little bits. Nothing doing now!

Flash: just heard report of a 4th tornado in Bundaberg, and possibly one in Maryborough. Didn't catch if they said it had hit or was expected. We are about 50km south of Maryborough! Bundaberg is north of Maryborough. They got twister first, so I guess we are next in line, geographically speaking.

[Private_collector]

Here we go again! Last week drought, this week major flooding.
Flood 0.jpg Flood 1.jpg Flood 2.jpg Flood 3.jpg Flood 4.jpg
More than 500mm rain in past 2 days. No tornadoes here, but have been a number reported in Bundaberg & Maryborough! Tornadoes? This isnt Kansas! What the hell is going?

[Private_collector]

To quote from the Bureau of Meteorology:

FLOOD WARNING FOR THE MARY RIVER
Issued at 9:43 am EST on Sunday 27 January 2013 by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane.

Heavy rainfall is continuing in the Mary River catchment. Further heavy rainfall of 75-100mm is expected over the upper catchment during Sunday.

At present, very strong river level rises and flooding, including areas of major flooding, are being observed across the catchment. Moderate flooding is expected at Gympie during Sunday, with major flood levels expected overnight with further rainfall. Major flood levels are also expected at Maryborough during Monday.

Upstream of Gympie:
Minor flooding and strong river rises are occurring at Moy Pocket and Dagun Pocket. Moderate flood levels are expected at Moy Pocket during Sunday. Major flood levels are possible at Dagun Pocket overnight Sunday.

Gympie:
Moderate flood levels are rising strongly at Gympie. Major flood levels are likely overnight Sunday based on the rainfall forecast.

Gympie to Maryborough:
Major flooding is expected during Sunday at Miva, with major flood levels at Tiaro rising further.

Maryborough:
Minor flood levels will continue to rise at Maryborough during Sunday, with moderate flood levels expected overnight Sunday and major flood levels during Monday.

Predicted River Heights/Flows:
Gympie: Exceed major flood level (17 metres) overnight Sunday.

Flood 5.jpg Flood 6.jpg Flood 7.jpg Flood 8.jpg Flood 9.jpg

[Keith Webb]

That's some serious rain, hope everyone is OK, thanks for keeping us updated Tony.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Tony

Australian weather lately seems to be coming in only biblical categories, drought, fire, rain, have they scheduled the locus?

But seriously hope ever one is OK. Storms and natural disasters are really hard on the people who experience them first hand, our best wishes to all those impacted by them.

Phil

[Private_collector]

Hi Guys,

Yes, the weather has just been bizarre in past few weeks. We didn't have the fires that southern states had. I can't imagine the terror of living in an area where that is part of life, or knowing a bushfire is heading your way.

Rain has just stopped in past few minutes. We can't get out anywhere, but from first check around, it seems there is no damage from wind. Can't say the same for some of our relatively near neighbours. While I am not able to travel far, I can see that some properties are under water, including the homes. Looks like Gympie is gonna get a major flood again, with worst being tomorrow morning. Bureau forcasting bulletins are getting more dire with each new bulletin. If I can get into town tomorrow, i'll see if I can help anywhere.

For today, i'm using the reprieve to get into the shed & workshop, and check things in there. Torrential rain 1hr ago, and now he sun is trying to get his hat on! TV news is reporting flooding could be worse than seen in 60 years. Glad we built high up, let me tell you.

Just a couple of years ago, there were actually Locust plagues in the western parts of Queensland, so it does happen! I'm hoping we don't get the frogs or boils!!!!

I'll post any siginficant news as it comes to hand. Thankyou for your good wishes chaps.

[hrpearce]

Fortunately we have not had any majior fires in our valley yet but yesterday afternoon was spent on top of a ridge on lightening strike watch. Plenty of lightening hit the ground and only 0.75mm of rain.

[Private_collector]

Started work on duplicating the complex system of wiring in front mud flaps/spats. Several issues were made apparent on the first, unsuccessful attempt.

I knew from the start that the wire I had at hand was too thin. This fact was confirmed with the first attempt of layup. Bear in mind I have only seen two photos of original ones, and both of those photos were rather vague and did not show the upper portion where it is attached to the mudguard.
Mudflap first attempt 1.jpg
First, I tried to make the whole wire section in one piece. Not a great idea. Too hard to work with, and the thin wire I used did not have the ability to retain it's shape to the extent required. I feel this problem would remain, even with a more suitable wire. The bent section on the right, is where the join is. The red stuff is heat shrink tubing, which certainly holds the sections together, BUT one piece of wire must be over/under the other, and when this happens, the shrink tubing actually holds the wire in any shape it gets bent to. I.E: if you mechanically bend forward or back, it will stay in that position. It can't bend sideways once the canvas is sewn over, but could still bend for'd & aft.
Mudflap first attempt 2.jpg
Second attempt. Still same wire. This time I thought about making every wire piece individually, and recessing the ends into a piece of metal, which would be where the flap is attached to the mudguard. This could work OK, with thicker wire. Holes would be pre-drilled in the metal, (In this case, aluminium) for the attaching bolts, upholsterer would then place brass eyelets through the canvas and aluminium, once all sewing complete. The wire would be much easier to work with during manufacture, and any poorly fashioned sections of wire could be discarded without losing the entire work piece. I would look into securing each wire section to the aluminium with a form of glue. Possibly hot melt glue, no higher than level of surrounding metal, so it would not be visible once canvas sewn on.

On my attempt today, you see I have tried to make each lower corner a curve instead of the right angle corner that it will ultimately be. If I have figured correctly, the photos I have seen show a bar of metal across the lower part of flap, just below the end of the wire pieces. This will be copied on final build.

If anyone has any other photos of the structure of these flaps, I would love to see them. Would especially like to see the naked wire piece/s, to see if I am even on the right track. This is one of those occasions where the visual aspects must look correct, even though the actual method of construction could be vastly different from original.

mudflap detail 1.jpg mudflap detail 2.jpg
These are the two photos I have seen so far.

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

As we say in this part of the world.......Hello!,

No outwardly obvious signs of celebrating anything here just now. Huge winds, over 250mm (10") of rain in less than 24hrs. Last week, so dry I had to buy water. This week we are flooded in. Tanks are very much full, as of this morning. Dam that was almost dry thursday, is about to hit 100% capacity within next hour, then the excess flows out and adds to the flooding elsewhere. And flooding there is!!! Can go less than a kilometer in any direction. Further north, Rockhampton badly flooded. Tornadoes (said to be three in total) went through Bundaberg this afternoon, with severe damage in its path. Very high winds here. So high I can't get to the workshop without being water blasted! I'm not up for that. Brisbane expecting their share of flooding rains tomorrow, courtesy of rain overnight. They are about 200km south of here, so we will know about the rough stuff well before it gets down their way.

Radio tells us the heavy rain and bad winds arrive overnight tonight! Jeeezus! This is the entree, main course yet to come. I have never seen the wind this bad, ever. Even the dog won't come out of her house.

Still, got a new coffee machine, and fresh copy of CMV to read, so bugger the lot of it, i'm staying inside.

Wanted to make the wire frames for CMP mudguards, clean up a radiator and paint it, and a few other little bits. Nothing doing now!

Flash: just heard report of a 4th tornado in Bundaberg, and possibly one in Maryborough. Didn't catch if they said it had hit or was expected. We are about 50km south of Maryborough! Bundaberg is north of Maryborough. They got twister first, so I guess we are next in line, geographically speaking.

G'day Tony and All,

Today is Wednesday 30th of January and I can no longer hear the flood water from the Burnett River roaring its way out to sea. The continual sounds of helicopter shuttles over the river to evacuation centres has also stopped for the first time in 3 days. Like Tony I could only go in 1 kilometre most directions. Fortunately a ring road for the sugar cane haul out vehicles was constructed a couple of years ago so this new road is our only link to some other suburbs of Bundaberg.

I am on the outskirts of Bundaberg on 2.5 acres and our lowest boundary is also an intermittent creek. For a couple of days the bottom acre was a lake. It stayed away from my house and sheds. The water did creep up and touch the bottom of the differential of one of my parts vehicles. In relation to the Burnett River, I am on the opposite bank of the river - I am on the high side of the poor people who were evacuated from North Bundaberg. Distance wise I am about 1 kilometre as the crow flies to the river. Well a bit shorter than a kilometre now in some areas. A lot of people in North Bundaberg and East Bundaberg have either lost their houses or had water over their roof.

I lost power for 25 hours over Saturday - Sunday and then lost it again for 3 hours Monday night. Compared to what a lot of other people are enduring now and will so for possibly years before they can recover financially and emotionally from their losses, I have experienced just a minor inconvenience.

I have actually had power on for more than 24 hours without disruptions - cross fingers it stays that way.

I hope other people along Queensland and New South Wales's coast and inland have coped okay?

Kind Regards

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

I hope other people along Queensland and New South Wales's coast and inland have coped okay?

Yes, very much hope MLUers all got through it OK. I see on the news that 63,000 properties are without power, so I imagine we may not hear from some folk for a while.

[Private_collector]

Hey Mate,

I had no idea you were in that area, or I would have asked how you were doing!!!

Glad things are settling down there now, but Jeeeezus, I wouldn't trade places with you there, that's for sure.

That reminds me, Ross Prince is outside Hervey Bay. He may have had problems too. I'll give him a ring in the morning to check. Only just getting mobile phone reception, but it's a little scratchy.

Added at 2020hrs: I just emailed Ross. Phone signal dropped down here again so I couldn't ring. If no answer, I'll try a land line in town tomorrow afternoon.

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Hey Mate,

I had no idea you were in that area, or I would have asked how you were doing!!!

Glad things are settling down there now, but Jeeeezus, I wouldn't trade places with you there, that's for sure.

That reminds me, Ross Prince is outside Hervey Bay. He may have had problems too. I'll give him a ring in the morning to check. Only just getting mobile phone reception, but it's a little scratchy.

Added at 2020hrs: I just emailed Ross. Phone signal dropped down here again so I couldn't ring. If no answer, I'll try a land line in town tomorrow afternoon.

G'day Tony,

No worries Tony - it is all okay. I did not put my location down as anything other than "Queensland". Probably should put Bundaberg down - aye!

By the way Hervey Bay has been marooned for days and will probably remain that way for a little longer. Chances are telephone and power are down too. The internet has been far from brilliant of late around these damp-ish parts too

P.S Fixed the location to Bundaberg - Queensland :0)

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Private_collector]

Now have the rear spring sets back home. Blasted Friday, Etched and primed today, after a damn good blow with compressed air. They will be painted tomorrow, as will the remaining spring hangers etc..
Inspection light 1.jpg Inspection light 2.jpg
The recently arrived inspection light was disassembled Friday nocte, and is now etch primed. It is a Lucas type. I should get it painted tomorrow. New (correct type) electrical wire has been ordered from USA. New aligator clips yet to be purchased.
Mudflap final design 1.jpg Mudflap final design 2.jpg Mudflap final design 3.jpg
I got back onto making the front mud flaps again this afternoon. All of the metal pieces have been fabricated and fit together well. I suspect the photo I was working off had a round bar weight at the bottom, but I will be using a piece of flat bar that will be easier for the guys to sew around, and this should make for a neater finish. I'll take these to the upholstery guys early in the coming week.

[Ian Johns]

Nice job. Now if I could get you to come over here I have a long list of the things you could fabricate for me.